The present invention relates generally to ophthalmic lenses, and more particularly to intraocular lenses (IOLs) that exhibit an accommodative optical power.
Intraocular lenses are routinely implanted in patients' eyes during cataract surgery to replace a clouded natural crystalline lens. The optical power of the natural crystalline lens can vary under the influence of the ciliary muscles to provide accommodation for viewing objects at different distances from the eye. Many IOLs, however, provide a monofocal power with no provision for accommodation, or a bifocal power with a limited degree of accommodation (typically referred to as “pseudoaccommodation). Accommodative IOLs are also known that can provide enhanced accommodation relative to that provided by monofocal or bifocal lenses. Many of such IOLs, however, employ a complex set of optical elements. Further, such IOLs do not generally take into account the role of aberrations as the lens provides accommodation for viewing objects at varying distances.
Hence, there is still a need for improved IOLs, and particularly for improved accommodative IOLs.